Barbecue Chicken Lollipops

Smoker Chicken Lollipops with BBQ Sauce

Exploring BBQ Staff
5 from 1 vote
Neat to eat, big on smoke, and built for crowd appeal—chicken lollipops give you crispy skin, juicy dark meat, and a clean “handle” for mess-free snacking. They look competition-level but are weeknight doable.
Turning drumsticks into “lollipops” (a.k.a. Frenching) started showing up at caterers and comps where bite-sized presentation matters. The technique pushes the meat down to form a meaty bulb and exposes a clean bone for easy handling—perfect for saucing, glazing, and piling high on a party tray.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings: 6 Servings
Course: Smoked Meats
Cuisine: BBQ & Grilling
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil or yellow mustard Binder
  • 4 tbsp BBQ rub Use your house rub; reduce salt if rub is salty
  • 2 tsp Optional dry brine kosher salt if your rub is low-salt
Glaze (mix and warm):
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Optional: hot sauce or ½ tsp cayenne

Equipment

  • Offset Smoker
  • gas/charcoal grill set for two-zone cooking plus a smoke tube and pellets
  • Sharp chef’s knife
  • Sturdy kitchen shears
  • Cutting board
  • Nitrile gloves
  • Aluminum Foil Foil squares to cap bone tips
  • Wire Rack
  • Heat-resistant gloves
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Basting brush

Method
 

A) Trim the Drumsticks into “Lollipops”
  1. Expose the cut line: Pat dry. Find the joint end (the knuckle). About ½–¾ inch below that knuckle, make a tight ring cut through the skin and the white tendons all the way around the leg. A twisting motion with the knife or snips helps sever the tough bands.
  2. Create the handle: Push the loosened skin/meat downward toward the thick end to form a rounded “bulb.” Trim away the knuckle skin and any gristle still clinging above the cut line so the bone is clean.
  3. Clean up tendons & the small side bone: You’ll feel a thin companion bone along the shaft; lift and remove it if present. Pull or snip visible tendons sticking out of the meat end (pliers help). Tidy any ragged bits so the meat end is compact.
  4. Repeat for all drumsticks. Wrap the exposed bone tips with small foil caps to keep them white and prevent scorching.
B) Season & (Optional) Dry the Skin
  1. Lightly coat the meat end with oil or mustard.
  2. Dust evenly with BBQ rub, focusing on the meat—avoid caking the clean bone.
  3. Optional but ideal: Place on a wire rack uncovered in the fridge 1–12 hours to dry the skin for better bite-through.
Offset Smoker Method (Primary)
  1. Preheat & stabilize: Run the pit at 275°F with a clean, thin-blue smoke. Cherry or a touch of hickory gives great color on chicken.
  2. Set up: Place lollipops upright on a rack or stand so air circulates around the meat. Keep the bone caps facing up/out of direct heat.
  3. Smoke: Cook at 275°F until the thickest part reads 160–165°F, about 60–90 minutes depending on size and airflow. Rotate the pan/rack halfway if one side of the pit runs hotter.
  4. Glaze: Brush generously with warm glaze. Return to the smoker to set the glaze and finish rendering the legs to 180–185°F internal (juicier texture than stopping at 165°F). Expect another 15–30 minutes.
  5. Rest: Pull, tent loosely 5–10 minutes. Remove foil from bone tips before serving.
  6. Total Time: ~1½–2 hours, typical for medium drumsticks at 275°F.
Grill + Smoke Tube Method (Added Smoke on a Grill)
  1. Two-zone setup: Heat your gas or charcoal grill to 275–300°F, leaving one side as the indirect zone.
  2. Light the smoke tube: Fill with pellets (fruitwood + a little hickory is nice). Ignite the open end with a torch until it flames, let it burn 4–5 minutes, then blow it out so it smolders. Place the tube near the hot side for airflow.
  3. Cook indirect: Stand the lollipops upright on the cool side. Close the lid and keep temps 275–300°F. Cook to 160–165°F internal (about 60–90 minutes).
  4. Glaze & finish: Brush with glaze; continue cooking until 180–185°F and the glaze is tacky, another 10–20 minutes.
  5. Optional crisp: For slightly snappier skin, move briefly over the hot side (30–60 seconds), watching closely to avoid burning the sugars in the glaze.

Notes

🌡️ Target Temps & Visual Cues
  • Pit/Grill Temp: 275°F (up to 300°F for faster cook; skin renders a bit quicker).
  • Internal Targets:
    • Safe minimum: 165°F
    • Best texture: 180–185°F (collagen rendered, meat pulls cleanly from the bone)
  • Typical Cook Time: 75–120 minutes total, size and pit stability dependent.

✅ What to Look For

  • Meat has shrunk back from the bone by about ½–1 inch, exposing a clean handle.
  • Probe slides in with little resistance near the bone; juices run clear.
  • Skin looks rendered and glossy, glaze is set (not wet) and slightly tacky

🍽️ Description of the Finished Product

A tray of lollipops should glow deep mahogany with a lacquered sheen. The meat end is plump and juicy; the bone is bright and clean for easy grabbing. Bite-through skin gives way to tender dark meat that clings just enough before releasing—sweet, smoky, and balanced by a tangy finish from the glaze.

🌡️ Quick Reference

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus brine if using)
  • Cook Time: 75 mins–120 mins
  • Smoker Temp: 275°F
  • Finished Temp: 165°F (after rest)

🔪 Pro Tips

  • If the meat “mushrooms” outward, tie once around the base with short lengths of butcher’s twine before cooking; snip before glazing.
  • Keep the fire clean—heavy, billowy smoke will turn chicken skin bitter.
  • Warm your glaze so it brushes thin; thick, cold sauce can slide off and scorch.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

One Response

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply